According to eMarketer, 24% of the 34.3 million US child and teen Internet users will visit virtual worlds once a month in 2007. This will rise to 34% in 2008 and by 2011, 53% will do so. Emarketer

TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation, an online brokerage company, said one of its databases was hacked into and the personal information for more than 6.3 million customers was stolen. The company found malicious code in one of its databases. DM News

According to the latest figures, 250,702 of the total purchased were standalone units, while 75,943 Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core bundles have also been snapped up. That’s a total of 326, 645 in just ten days. Next Gen

Compete introduced its Search Analytics solution to fill an unmet need for marketers at both large and small companies — the need for affordable and robust search tools that can have an immediate impact on online and overall business strategy. DM News

Users can also obtain an anonymous credit card with no name or account number on it, something that could cut the risk of identity theft, fraud and problems stemming from lost or stolen cards, Revolution said. Reuters

“We believe great advertising is interrupted all the time,” said John Lack, co-founder and chief executive of Firebrand. “We curate the best TV commercials and promotions -- connecting consumers directly with their favorite brands in an integrated environment.” New York Business

Facebook has overtaken News Corporation's MySpace site as the highest-traffic UK social networking site with 6.5m unique users last month, according to data published today by Nielsen//NetRatings. media.guardian.co.uk

Among the more than 120 arrests announced on Monday in what the authorities called the largest steroids crackdown in the nation’s history, five men charged in a Connecticut sting stood out not for what they were peddling, but for where they were suspected of doing it: on MySpace.com. NY Times

Democratic contender John Edwards will be first presidential candidate to dive head-first into a "presidential dialogue" jointly hosted by MySpace and MTV Thursday. Wired

David Burden, managing director of Daden Ltd, said: “This is an example of the power of Second Life, and virtual worlds in general, in providing a shared visualisation system....offering possibilities for both the consumer and for business operations and scientific research. Being able to walk around data, and view it with others, can bring out insight and analysis that would be impossible in 2D systems, or PC-based 3D systems." Flightglobal

NEWS: Roam Un-Free

News/Social Networks/Second Life
Found on: msnbc.com

HiPiHi's 38-year-old CEO and founder, Xu Hui, has some ambitious goals; not only does he want his new virtual world, HiPiHi to be China's answer to Second Life, but through strategic partnerships with U.S., Japanese and other foreign firms, he plans to establish discrete virtual continents and then have them all linked to Second Life, creating a vast metaverse - the big question being: will China's government actually allow him to do it? I guess only time will tell.



MSNBC Post:

Zhao Gang surveys his nearly empty virtual world, and finds it to be good. Zhao is head of the tech team that built HiPiHi—China's answer to Second Life. With the virtual world's basic landscape complete, one of Zhao's jobs these days is to wander HiPiHi, schooling roughly 10,000 ethnic Chinese from the mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore who have been specially invited into the test phase to help work out the kinks. The "residents," as they're called, roam, swim and fly around the new world. Zhao approaches two avatars for a chat. Face to face with the virtual world's Master Builder, they have an urgent question: "Can you tell us how to change our clothes?"

NEWS: Europeans predominate in Second Life - study

News/Social Networks/Second Life
Found on: reuters.com

Before you log into Second Life again, you might want to consider brushing up on your German, because chances are you'll be speaking to one -- Guten Tag Avatar!

Reuters post:

Second Life was born in the United States, but 61 percent of its active residents are Europeans, a study by research firm comScore said on Friday.

The number of active German residents exceeds the number of active residents in the United States, although growth rates in the U.S. are the highest worldwide, said comScore, which
specializes in measuring various kinds of Internet usage.

More than 6 million user accounts have been created in Second Life, up from about 1 million at the end of 2006, but the number of active users is far lower.

NEWS: 'Second Life' User Numbers Don't Quite Add Up

News/Social Networks/Second Life/Users
Found on: foxnews.com

Clay Shirky just completed a four-month study on the number of users in Second Life, based on his findings, Shirky claims that the actual number of regular users are less the 200,000 versus the 3.2 million Linden Lab reports to have...numbers don't quite add up?

FoxNews post:

How many people use "Second Life"? Not as many as you might think.

In December, New York University lecturer Clay Shirky launched a one-man Web crusade against the widespread misrepresentation of "Second Life"'s popularity, claiming most publications — including PC Magazine — were inadvertently overstating the number of users.

When reporters ask how many people are using "Second Life," the folks at Linden Lab typically respond with the number of "residents," and most reporters assume that "resident" means "unique user."

But as Shirky points out, a resident isn't a unique user. A single user can create multiple virtual residents. "Second Life"'s popularity is significantly smaller than the press claims, and though Linden Lab won't tell us how many people are really using the service, Shirky thinks he's finally gotten to the bottom of things.

NEWS: NBA Headquarters Unveiled in Second Life

Social Networks/Second Life/Sports
Found on: nba.com

With it's multiplayer games, retail stores and a variety of other features designed to draw repeat visitors, the NBA unveiled their Second Life "Headquarters" on Tuesday - anyone up for a game of HORSE?



NBA.com post:

The NBA announced the launch of NBA Headquarters, a new virtual destination featuring a variety of innovative and interactive NBA elements in Second Life, the popular 3D online world with nearly six million residents. The announcement was made by NBA Commissioner David Stern during a recent media event conducted in the NBA Headquarters.

The NBA’s 3D virtual destination, developed with The Electric Sheep Company, a leading creator of 3D virtual world content and solutions, will provide basketball fans and Second Life residents with access to comprehensive features including the T-Mobile Arena, broadband video of classic NBA games and highlights, and an opportunity to have their picture taken with the NBA’s championship trophy in the Toyota Larry O’Brien Trophy Room.

Additionally, in Second Life fans will be able to purchase NBA and WNBA jerseys and merchandise for their identity or avatars at the NBA Store, walk along a special path highlighting the 50 Greatest NBA Players and participate in a variety of basketball activities at the NBA Jam Session.

NEWS: Second Life Sex Business Sells On eBay For $50,000

News/Social Networks/Second Life/Sex
Found on: informationweek.com

Virtual sex sells but who's buying? Apparently some guy named nedstede2769 form the Netherlands and he is shelling out some big bucks for it, over $50,000 US dollars -- isn't that like a 500 billion Linden dollars or something?!?



InformationWeek post:

One of the landmark businesses on Second Life, Amsterdam, sold on eBay Monday for $50,000 to a buyer located, appropriately enough, in the Netherlands, said the developer of the popular adult-oriented business.

Amsterdam's developer, Kevin Alderman of Tampa, Fla., put the site up for sale on eBay last week, and it sold at 6:34 a.m. PDT, according to the eBay listing. The buyer didn't bid; he just paid the asking price.

We weren't able to find out who the buyer is; he goes by nedstede2769 on eBay, where his 3-year-old account has no feedback. Alderman said he didn't want to give the buyer's name without checking first.

NEWS: Taking Out A Second Mortgage In Second Life

News/Social Networks/Second Life/Real Estate
Found on: webpronews.com

Are you in the market for a new home? A new virtual home? Coldwell Banker, one of the nation's largest real estate brokerage firms has over 500 "inworld" homes with styles ranging from modern to southwestern colonial and if you're a little tight on "lindens" (second life currency) right now, no problem, you can take out a virtual mortgage to finance it and they'll even throw in a complete set of virtual furniture as a closing gift - now you know.

Webpronews post:

Buying a home is usually the single largest investment that the average individual will make over the span of their life. Careful thought and planning are exercised when determining how much of a mortgage to take on, how large of a home to purchase, and what realtor to use.

Indeed, home ownership is not something to be entered into lightly. Buying a home in Second Life, however, can be as simple as a point-and-click transaction, and Coldwell Banker has decided that it wants to be the real estate company to meet the needs of the virtual world’s potential homeowners.

NEWS: A winning business plan for 'Second Life'

News/Social Networks/Second Life/Business
Found on: news.com

Minnesota-based research company, Market Truths took home first place honors in the first-ever business plan contest in Second Life.

Cnet News.com post:

The honors, announced Monday, went to Minnesota-based Market Truths, which devised a market research and analysis system to help real-world companies figure out what works and what doesn't in the burgeoning virtual world.

The contest's judges rewarded the Market Truths submission because the team has conducted similar market research in the real world for years, and because it appeared to have the best profit potential of the four finalists.

"I was really impressed by the quality of (all) the ideas we received," said Susan Wu, a contest judge and a venture capitalist from Charles River Ventures. "Each one of these businesses could turn into a viable ongoing enterprise, not only in terms of Second Life, but as a service that stands across multiple virtual worlds."

NEWS: New Portal to Second Life: Your Phone

News/Social Networks/Second Life/Mobile
Found on: technologyreview.com

Looks like Second Life's "metaverse" just got a litte bigger. Comverse, makers of the mobile software that allows Second Life users to connect to the "grid" using a mobile phone and communicate to other residents via text messages - scary.

Technology Review post:

With new software for mobile phones, citizens of the burgeoning online universe Second Life will never have to leave their cozy virtual world, even when they're away from their computers. The new software is a program that lets cellular users with Java-based, Internet-capable phones log in to Second Life remotely, see who else is "in-world," and communicate with them via text messaging.

Comverse, the wireless multimedia networking company that developed the software, demonstrated it this week for wireless carriers at the 3GSM conference in Barcelona, Spain. Attendees using Comverse's phones could see and manipulate avatars who appeared in Comverse's virtual 3GSM booth inside Second Life. Using simple commands, they could direct the avatar to walk around the booth, identify other avatars, and send them greetings via SMS, MMS, or instant messaging. And in a twist typical of today's virtual environments, people logged in to Second Life over traditional PC connections could walk into the virtual Comverse booth and pick up virtual phones that connected them directly to fellow members logged in from their real phones at the real booth.

NEWS: Sweden to open first virtual embassy in Second Life

News/Social Networks/Second Life
Found on: reuters.com

The Kingdom of Sweden is a Nordic country in Scandinavia. It is bordered by Norway in the west, Finland in the northeast, the Skagerrak Strait and the Kattegat Strait in the southwest...uh, okay whatever, here's my point: I just went to Wikipedia and ran a search for "Sweden" to get this info but in a couple of weeks, you'll be able to go to Sweden's virtual embassy called the "House of Sweden" in Second Life and get answers to questions on all aspects of Sweden.

Reuters post:

Sweden plans to be the first country to open an embassy in popular virtual world Second Life.

"It will have answers to questions on all aspects of Sweden," Olle Wastberg, general director of the Swedish Institute, an organization which promotes the country's image abroad, said on Tuesday.

The embassy will be called House of Sweden and modeled on the country's new embassy in Washington. It will open in a couple of weeks.

NEWS: Universal Turns to Social Nets

News/Social Networks/Second Life/Brian Morrissey
Found on: adweek.com

How cool is this - Universal Pictures launched a Second Life in-world promotion (action game) that's giving away a million "Linden" dollars and all you have to do is hunt down other players with your weapon of choice.



Adweek post:

Universal Pictures is looking to connect with young moviegoers in new places for its upcoming release, Smokin' Aces.

The studio is complementing more traditional advertising on TV and Web sites with a Second Life action game that will let users hunt each other down for the opportunity to win a share of 1 million Linden dollars, the metaverse's
virtual currency, or about $3,750. It is also running a widget campaign that encourages movie fans to spread the word by placing trailers on their blogs and MySpace profiles.

Second Life Screening of Four Eyed Monsters - Update

Web Culture/Second Life/Video
Found on: Youtube.com

Well, the premiere SL screening of "Four Eyed Monsters" came and went and wouldn't you know it, I was no where near a computer...long story, but it had something to do with the wife and meeting friends for drinks -- in the "real world", crazy. Anyway, I found these videos on Youtube, it's some guy who taped himself watching the movie, although the commentary is a bit annoying, it's still pretty cool -- rock on Sundance Channel.

Tags FourEyedMonsters second life film free screening avatar movie





Hey, don't bogart all the popcorn!

NEWS: Sling Media, Second Life to take stage with CBS

News/Web Culture/Second Life/CBS
Found on: reuters.com

Look who CBS is teaming up at this year's Consumer Electronic Show -- Sling Media (the creators of Slingbox) and Linden Labs (the creators of Second Life), apparently there's going to be some big announcement.

Reuters post:

CBS Corp., which has pushed to reach new consumers on the Internet, will be joined by representatives from Web-savvy companies Sling Media and Second Life in a Tuesday presentation, CBS said.

The broadcaster did not give details of the speech or upcoming announcements by CBS Chief Executive Les Moonves, who will give a keynote address on Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Sling is known for its Slingbox, which plugs into a TV and transmits the feed via the Internet, allowing consumers to watch their favorite local TV shows no matter where they are. It also has a new device that does the opposite, putting Internet content on television.

NEWS: Second Life Screening of Four Eyed Monsters

News/Web Culture/Second Life/Sundance
Found on: prnewswire.com

Award winning indie film "Four Eyed Monsters", will have it's premiere Second Life screening tomorrow (Jan 9th) at the new Sundance Channel Island, the screening will be followed with a Q&A session with the creators of the film; I plan on attending and hope to have something to report back to you guys sometime this week.



PR Newswire post:

Sundance Channel announced the screening of the independent feature film Four Eyed Monsters is set for Tuesday, January 9 at 8pm EST in the Sundance Channel screening room in Second Life. Following the screening, the filmmakers Arin Crumley and Susan Buice will be on hand for a question and answer period from the audience. Live feeds of the event will also be presented from other Second Life locations. More information on additional locations can be found on.

NEWS: Xmas day attack on Second Life

News/Web Culture/Second Life/Emma Boyes
Found on: gamespot.com

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas this year are greenish worm-like penises wearing jaunty Santa-style stocking caps to invade second life -- wishes do come true.



Gamespot post:

Recently the flourishing virtual economy of online community Second Life produced its first real-life millionaire, estate agent Ailin Graef, and announced it had reached the one million member mark.

However, all's not entirely well in the virtual world--a series of "grey goo" attacks from malicious users over the last few months have been invading the system while Linden Lab technicians have battled to fix the problems and restore the world. One attack in November led to a temporary loss of service.

VIRTUAL ALOFT

Web Culture/Youtube/Second Life/Video
Found on: Youtube.com

Tags starwood hotels resorts virtual aloft



Youtube Stats (as of this post):

Views: 3,047
Comments: 0
Favorited: 8 times

Aloft blog post:

In September, Starwood Hotels became the first company in history to open a new hotel brand inside of a virtual world. Prior to opening to the public in 2008, aloft hotels now offers a sneak preview inside of Second Life. As we continue to develop our virtual aloft hotel, this weblog will track the progress of the hotel, giving you an in depth insiders view.

NEWS: Virtual reality TV - Big Brother launched in SL

Web Culture/Second Life/Adam Reuters
Found on: secondlife.reuters.com

Looks like reality televison just got a little more virtual or has virtual reality gotten more reality televison?

Fifteen contestants compete against each other in the Second Life edition of Big Brother in an attempt to win their own island - fun!

Secondlife Reuters post:

Reality show Big Brother is getting a little less real with a new Second Life edition, which will pit 15 contestants against each other in an attempt to win their own island.

The popular reality TV show will select 15 Second Life contestants in three time zones. Contestants will have to spend at least 8 hours a day in the transparent virtual Big Brother house for a total of one month, and will complete various tasks such as building replicas of famous buildings.

Exclusive Interview with Second Life Liberation Army Leader (SLLA)

Web Culture/Second Life/Wayne Porter
Found on: revenews.com

The Second Life Liberation Army's (SLLA) first target was high profile brand American Apparel, then they went after Reebok.

Their tactics are simple: armed and determined SLLA volunteers are positioned around the vendor's virtual store to prevent other SL residents from entering and ultimately from buying any of the vendors goods -- WoW!

Revenews interview:

As a security researcher and e-commerce consultant I became more intrigued as larger brands moved into the Second Life environment and now unhappy avatars (digital representations of real people) have bonded together to fight against an establishment they feel is unfair. I can understand this backlash, but I won't draw analogies here, or make overt conclusions, or take sides, but leave it to the reader to decide or investigate on their own. However does "The Grid" and its economics and politics mimic real life- much like some strange phantasmagormic mirror?. Already we have seen dDos attacks, and now attacks that mimic real life...what does this all mean? Now and for our future?

Porter: 1) What is the purpose behind the Second Life Liberation Army and how old is it?

SLLA: The SLLA exists to highlight and agitate for Political Rights within Second Life. The movement was founded in April 2006 but found its true meaning following the changes made to SL by LL (Linden Labs) when they made possible the creation of unverified accounts. This attracted a lot of covert support from longer-term residents who wanted some change but didn't want to go public -- so they provided us with some funding.

Porter: 2) Specifically what problem(s) in Second Life do the SLLA wish to call attention too?

SLLA: As more and more people have significant interests in SL it amazes me that they are not looking for some kind of protections. Our view is that the only way to achieve this is through some form of nascent political involvement.

NEWS: Scion Launches Broadband Site, Joins Second Life

News/Social Networks/Youth Trends/Betsy Spethmann
Found on: promomagazine.com

Back in 1999, Toyota Motor Corp launched a marketing plan called "Project Genesis", the plan was intended to attract more youthful buyers to the company's products.

To this day, it is still considered to be one of Toyota's worst flops.

Who would have ever guessed that this failed attempt to attract the gen x demo would become the catalyst to one of today's edgiest and innovating brands - the Scion.



Promo Magazine post:

Toyota's edgy Scion brand is launching two online ventures that extend its strategy of marketing through entertainment.

Scion has formed its own online network, Scion Broadband, with five "channels" of content. And, separately, Scion has cut a deal to place its cars in the virtual world of Second Life, an online society.

Scion is well known for using online, event and entertainment marketing in lieu of traditional media advertising. The four-year-old brand has a reputation for sponsoring emerging artists, especially in music, fine arts and animation.

Youtube Second Life Machinima commercials?

Youtube/Second Life/Marketing
Found on: Youtube

Nylon Outfitters is a "Virtual" store that sells virtual clothing, cameras and other v-products in the immensely popular online world Second Life.

Nylon Pickney, the owner of Nylon Outfitters decided to promote her products by producing three machinima commericals and posting them onto Youtube for both virtual and non virtual world to view.

Here are the links to the commercials found on Nylon Pickney's blog Newly Born:

-Video Camping is for the Camcorder, its a horror parody. Its more of a short movie then a commercial, but its definitley my favorite, its a little longer compared to the other two.

-Beatiful is for the 35mm (my favorite camera) and its about a photo project to take something beautiful.

-The Motel is for the Polorid, its about what happens when a guy, a couple of drinks, a polorid camera, and a pair of legs are put in the same room.

Sells have gone up with all the new exposure and things couldn't look any brighter for Nylon Pickney and her store's future.

Nylon Pickney's Youtube profile page